Tuesday, 22 July 2008

Purple

Gosh, I love this purple chair. Just one chair like this in a light-colored room is enough to give the room a touch of class and a grounded feel. I know what pieces we have at home that can be reupholstered to look like this... Mwa ha ha ha. Must get a new flat first though.

I love the dark shades of purple. There is a sense of mystery, a sense of darkness, a sense of elegance, a sense of something grown up... I don't know. Although I love it, I don't wear it often. I tend to wear bright, happy, energetic colors. Maybe I'm bright and happy on the outside but mysterious and dark on the inside. Maybe!

When I read ancient Greek history in college, I learned that purple was the color of royalty. Purple dye was made from a plant more expensive than gold at the time. That's Byzantine emperor Justinian the Great in a purple robe in a mosaic.

And just now from Wikipedia, I learned that purple was used to decorate the Xian Terracotta Army in China between 500 BC and 220 AD, and that purple was an imperial color (in addition to yellow/gold). The Forbidden City in China 紫禁城, literally means "purple forbidden city."

When I was going to school in Japan, I learned that in Japan, only the highest ranking monks can wear purple. That's the top monk of Byodoin, a Buddhist temple near Kyoto, during a ceremony to enshrine Mama's print and kimono of Byodoin's Phoenix Hall (March 2005).

And in modern day, some people will tell you that wearing purple makes an elegant and strong fashion statement. And that it wears well with most skin colors and ages.

1 comment:

I think you would absolutely love this book called "Mauve" by Simon Garfield (http://www.amazon.com/Mauve-Invented-Color-Changed-World/dp/0393323137). It details the history of the development of a particular shade of purple which at one time, as you said, is worth even more than gold.

I love the colour purple too, ever since I found out as a kid that it is obtained by combining blue and red. To me it represents the perfect balance - if red represents positive energy and happiness; and blue denotes sadness and yin; then purple to me is like the colour of life - a beautiful mixture of both. Its elegance to me stems from the fact that it does not refrain from either sadness or joy, but embraces both and in the process turned them into the most beautiful shade known to mankind.

Btw, I love Louis XVI chairs also :) I envy you that you have pieces at home that look like this :)